Green Bay Packers fans were eagerly awaiting the return of cornerback Jaire Alexander to Lambeau Field faithful in Week 10, as it was the first opportunity to greet him (with cheers or boos) since his complicated exit from the team this past offseason.
However, Alexander won't even be able to soak up whatever reaction would have come his direction. In a Sunday surprise, the team announced he will not be traveling with the Eagles to Wisconsin for their showdown against the Packers. Instead of playing against his former teammates, Alexander will be back in Philadelphia watching on television as he has been ruled out of Week 10's game.
Eagles' Jaire Alexander Ruled Out Against Packers in Week 10
According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, Alexander is being left behind in the City of Brotherly Love so that he can continue to rehab the knee that gave him so much trouble during his tenure in Green Bay. Garafolo also noted that Alexander remaining behind would allow him to become better acclimated with the Eagles' system before being thrown onto the field for live action.
Alexander being sidelined due to his knee directly contradicts what he said just days ago, when he claimed the Baltimore Ravens wanting to evaluate their younger options -- rather than issues with his knee -- was what led to his lack of playing time in Baltimore. In his two appearances for the Ravens, Alexander racked up five total tackles.
Now, questions around Alexander's health are at the front of the conversation again. Fortunately for Packers fans, this time around, they are not the ones simply left waiting and wishing that the veteran defender would ever get healthy.
With Alexander not seeing the field at Lambeau on Monday night, the next opportunity for him to see the field would come against the Detroit Lions in Week 11. That would be a roughly six-week stretch from the last time he was on the field for an NFL game. With the Lions having a high-powered offensive attack, much like the Packers, the longer Alexander stays away from the field, the harder it is to envision him having a major impact on Philadelphia's defense.
Green Bay's fans will just have to wait to serenade Alexander with boos for his next trip to Lambeau, whenever that may be.